Device for attaching oil well tubing catchers to oil well tubing



Patented July 21, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BASGOM L. WALKUIP AND WILLIAM JUDSON SEGLER, OF MEXIA, TEXAS DEVICE FOR ATTAGHING OIL WELL TUBING CATCHERS TO OIL WELL TUBING Application filed December 20, 1929.

This invention relates to a device generally known in the art as a well tubing catcher, and the primary object of the present invention is to provide a device for securely retaining the well tubing or pipe string within the body of the catcher.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a pair of complemental slips or jaws suitably arranged in the upper end of the body of the catcher for gripping engagement with a section of the Well string.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during a study of the following description, taken in con- :Jnection with the accompanying drawings,

wherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view throi'lgh the catcher for clearly illustrating the application of the invention thereto.

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the improved slip or jaw, viewing the same from the concave side of the slip.

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the looking and retaining nut.

With reference more in detail to the drawings, it will be seen that I have shown a portion of a well pipe string, the reference character a denoting one section of the string and the reference character 79 denoting a second section of the string, the said sections a and 6 being connected together through the medium of a suitable coupling sleeve 0. For the sake of exemplification, we have shown a conventional type of catcher for use in conjunction with the well string, and in this connection, it will be seen that the catcher includes a collar portion 5 arranged on the lower end of the pipe section a. Resting on the collar 5 is the tubular body 6 of the catcher, the body 6 being disposed about the pipe section a.

Convoluted about the lower end portion of the body 6 is a coil spring 7 one end of which impinges against the collar 5 and the upper end of which bears against the lower Serial No. 415,519.

The structure thus far described is conventional in well drilling apparatus, and a more detailed description thereof is therefore thought unnecessary.

In carrying out our invention, the body 6 adjacent the upper end thereof is counterbored to provide an inwardly tapering socket 6. Tapered bore 6 is reduced downwardly. Adapted to fit in the bore 6 are slips 13,- which have external faces to lit the tapered faces of the bore 6. The slips 13 also taper longitudinally downwardly to conform to the taper of thebore 6. The slips 13 also have curved inner faces on which are formed gripping teeth 14, for conformably engaging the periphery of the drill pipe sections a.

For wedging and retaining the slips 13 inwardly of the socket 6, there is provided a locknut designated generally by the reference character 16. The lock nut 16 is adapted to be disposed about the pipe section a, with its lower end threaded in the upper end of the socket 6. The socket 6 at said upper end is providedwith internal screw threads 15 and the lock nut 16 adjacent its lower portion is provided with external screw threads 17 for engaging the threads 15 of socket 6. The upper portion of the nut 16 is preferably provided with a smooth exterior surface.

From the foregoing then, it will be seen that when the nut 16 is threaded into the upper end of the socket 6, the lower end of the nut will engage the upper edges of the slips 13, for urging the slips downwardly or longitudinally of the socket, whereby'the teeth 14 of the slips engage the periphery of the pipe section a, for securely retaining the pipe section a within the body 6 of the catcher.

Each slip in cross section is of such a diameter as to have the vertical edges of the slips in contacting relation when the slips are wedged into the pocket for engagement with the pipe or tube sections.

From the foregoing then, it will be seen that we have devised a thoroughly practical and reliable means for securing well tubing Within the body of a tubing catcher as to retain the tubing within the catcher as to minimize the possibility of the well string becoming disengaged from the catcher.

It will be further appreciated that when the slips 13 and lock nut 16 are arranged in position for retaining the well piping or string within the body of the catcher the operator will be assured that when he desires to remove the string from the well casing, the atelier will be so securely retained about the well tubing that both the tubing or string and catchefi will all be removed from the well casing in the single operation.

It is thought that from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, a clear understanding of the operation and utility, and advantages of an attachment of this character will be had by those skilled in the art, without a more detailed description.

Even though we have herein described and shown the preferred embodiment of our invention, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible to changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention, and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new is 1. In a device of the character described, and in combination, a well tubing catcher including a body provided adjacent its upper end with a tapered socket, longitudinally tapered slips fitting said socket and respec' tively provided with an external tapered face engaging the wall of said socket, trans verse teeth on the inner face of each slip, and a lock nut threaded in the upper end of said socket and having its inner end adapted to engage the upper ends of the slips for wedging the latter between the wall of the socket and the well tubing extending through said body, whereby said teeth are forced into gripping engagement with the outer periphery of the w ll tubing.

2. A well tubing catcher including in combination a longitudinally bored body, counter-bored adjacent its upper end to provide an inwardly tapering socket, slips fitting in said socket and respectively tapering longitudinally toward one end and having an external tapered face for contacting the wall of the socket, each of said slips on the inner face thereof provided with transversely extending teeth, a lock nut having the lower tures.

BASCOM L. W'ALKUP. WILLIAM JUDSON SEGLER. 

